The family of famous Super Metro conductor Gerald Mwangi Njoroge, popularly known as Makanga Bae, has been mourning following the tragic death of the bus tout.
Mwangi was on October 23 laid to rest following a memorial service held at the St. Anne’s Catholic Church grounds in Uthiru, in which emotions ran high.
Makanga Bae tragically passed away on the night of Thursday, October 10, after succumbing to injuries sustained in a fatal road accident.
The funeral service of the famous Super Metro conductor in Uthiru however took an unfortunate turn as family members publicly accused some of the organizers for mismanaging funds meant for his burial ceremony, and disrespecting his last day.
As the family gathered to bid Mwangi farewell, tensions ran high, with accusations of mishandled finances overshadowing the somber occasion.
The funeral ended up becoming a shouting match as the family and friends of the late tout exchanged words, even as the master of ceremony attempted to calm matters and control the flaring emotion.
One of the key figures accused by the family is a Super Metro staff member named Muturi, who according to them was responsible for overseeing the group that raised the funds.
Super Metro statement
Super Metro chairman Nelson Mwangi in a statement clarified the incident noting that Gerald’s family received the company’s contribution directly.
“We would like to clarify that the mother, aunt, and uncle of Gerald Mwangi came to our office and received the company’s contribution directly. Therefore, any other group formed to collect funds for the burial is not affiliated with Super Metro,” said Mwangi.
He added, “While we appreciate the efforts of those who stepped up to support the bereaved, we want to ensure transparency regarding the nature of these contributions.”
The Super Metro chairman further assured that he is committed to following up on this matter to better understand what transpired and to ensure that the company’s staff members receive the respect and recognition they deserve in times of need.
Contributions for Makanga Bae’s burial
Affecto Foundation founder Ndung’u Nyoro had earlier in a post on Thursday shared the intrigues of what had transpired.
A close source privy to the matter revealed to Nyoro that the Gerald’s mother stormed Super Metro offices demanding for the funds, before the burial.
The source claimed that the complaints by Makanga Bae’s family that Muturi mismanaged the funds were false, and that the latter’s name was being tarnished.
He further explained that disagreements ensued when the funds were sent to Mwangi’s wife, which was allegedly against the family’s wish.
“Gerald’s friends were mobilized by Muturi who created a group. We contributed money which was not directly sent to him. Now the mistake is, Muturi as the chairman authorized funds being sent to Mwangi’s wife and the family doesn’t acknowledge her. That’s what brought conflict.
“Mama Mwas came into the office with several more people demanding for that money. They caused dramas,” the post by the source read.
What transpired
In addition, the source said that Muturi had Ksh63,000 deducted from his account and sent to Makanga Bae’s mother following the storm by the latter.
It is alleged that Muturi shall repay the amount in instalments through his monthly salary.
Also Read: Grief as Popular Super Metro Conductor Dies
The source on the other hand revealed that Mwangi’s wife was also harassed to send money she had received.
According to the insider, these events led to all the burial arrangements being thrown into disarray.
Earlier during the emotional service, Gerald’s family members stood up to voice their frustration, expressing that the deceased’s burial did not reflect the dignity they had hoped to accord him.
Makanga Bae burial
In a video seen by The Kenya Times, a family member lamented how the event, which should have been a moment of respect, had turned into an upsetting spectacle.
According to the family members, the funeral was supposed to be a grand send-off, worthy of Gerald’s memory.
“All these people have wronged us as a family, we didn’t want to bury our brother as you can see him. The way Gerald has been placed here is not right,” the family member said, explaining their dissatisfaction with how the burial was conducted,” said a family member.
“We wanted to send off Gerald respectfully but there are words from the group, Gerald’s friends have come to contribute… it was like paradise because this is Gerald’s last day on earth.”
Also Read: Super Metro Driver Composes Emotional Song After Colleague’s Death
She went on to state that the contributions raised by Gerald’s friends were not being reflected in the arrangements.
While also echoing the sentiments of the relatives, Gerald’s mother stood to address the mourners, also complaining that her son had been disrespected by some of his friends.
Mother speaks
Gerald’s mother singled out three of Gerald’s friends in particular- Muturi, Kajuju and Teddy – who she expressly accused of misappropriating his funeral funds and also making false promises to the family.
“I haven’t been sleeping but it’s okay. I was given a total of Ksh3,000 from Super Metro, which I used to purchase funeral necessities including clothes. Muturi had said that he would buy a coffin worth Ksh50,000,” said Gerald’s mother.
“He had also said he bought food and water worth Ksh85,000 but today there is no food and water, everything has been done by Muturi, Kajuju and Teddy.”
The situation became more distressing as the family revealed that Gerald’s mother had considered taking her own life due to the emotional strain caused by the funeral group’s internal conflicts.
Despite the distressing acrimony, Makanga Bae was eventually laid to rest even as emotions still ran high and some mourners felt slighted.
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